{
  "family": "2345explorer",
  "sample_count": 1,
  "category": "advanced_threat",
  "description": "<h3>Executive Summary</h3>\n2345Explorer is a prominent family of Adware and Browser Hijackers originating from China. While technically functioning as a web browser based on the Chromium/Trident engines, it is heavily bundled with aggressive adware components. It is engineered to aggressively monetize an infected user's web browsing activity by intercepting web traffic, forcefully altering system configurations, and injecting highly intrusive advertisements, posing a significant threat to end-user privacy and system stability.\n\n<h3>Distribution and Technical Behavior</h3>\n2345Explorer is almost exclusively distributed via deceptive software bundling. It is frequently hidden within \"free\" software installers, fake software updates, or bundled with peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing applications.\n\nOnce executed, 2345Explorer deeply integrates with the operating system and attempts to dominate the user's web experience:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Aggressive Hijacking:</strong> It forces changes to the default browser settings across the OS, changing the default search engine, homepage, and new tab settings to `2345.com` (or related affiliate portals). It often utilizes driver-level rootkit techniques to prevent other security software or the user from reverting these changes.</li>\n<li><strong>Traffic Interception and Injection:</strong> The software overlays legitimate websites with disruptive pop-ups, pop-unders, banner ads, and sponsored in-text hyperlinks.</li>\n<li><strong>Telemetry and Tracking:</strong> It continuously tracks the user's browsing history, search queries, and clickstreams, transmitting this telemetry to remote servers located in China to serve highly targeted advertisements.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Risk Assessment</h3>\nWhile 2345Explorer may not actively encrypt files, it introduces massive operational friction. Its aggressive persistence mechanisms (often utilizing kernel-mode drivers) can cause system instability (BSODs). Furthermore, the injected advertisements are frequently served by low-reputation ad networks, dramatically increasing the likelihood of \"malvertising\" attacks.\n\n<h3>Mitigation and Removal Strategies</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Safe Mode Boot:</strong> Because of its aggressive persistence, standard removal often fails. Boot the infected system into Windows Safe Mode to prevent the 2345Explorer drivers and services from loading.</li>\n<li><strong>Endpoint Scanning:</strong> Utilize a reputable enterprise-grade anti-malware solution to perform a deep system scan, targeting the 2345Explorer executables, hidden scheduled tasks, and persistent registry keys used to maintain its hold on the OS.</li>\n<li><strong>Browser Remediation:</strong> Manually inspect and remove any unknown or unauthorized extensions from all installed web browsers. Perform a complete factory reset of the browsers to clear the hijacked search settings.</li>\n</ul>",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Adware.2345Explorer",
    "PUP.2345",
    "BrowserModifier:Win32/2345Explorer"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "insufficient_information",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1566.002",
    "T1176",
    "T1112",
    "T1547"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-01T16:48:23Z",
  "type": "Adware / Browser Hijacker",
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}